Reflections
by MademoiselleEtincelle
Summary: reflection /noun/: the act of reflecting, as in casting back a light or heat, mirroring, or giving back or showing an image. "Come on! Just one!" "Absolutely not." Eight moments in Betty and Jughead's lives, each one full of their own personality.


**A/N:** **Hello everyone! So I'm kind of new here so please be nice with me. I joined the Riverdale fandom a few weeks ago and I'm already watching the season a second time, so yeah, I'm a pretty big fan xD Anyway, here is a Bughead fanfic, and I hope that you'll all like it :) a BIG thank you to I'mNotAGoodWriter for betaing this for me; she really helped me with this one and wow, she's awesome!**

 **Enjoy! (I do not own anything, sadly.)**

* * *

 **REFLECTIONS**

 _reflection /noun/: the act of reflecting, as in casting back a light or heat, mirroring, or giving back or showing an image._

 _1._

"Betty, you can't be serious."

"Watch me."

Getting up, she grabbed blankets from their chest and took a pillow from the bed.

"You're _really_ going to do this?!" he called out, exasperated as she tossed him a look from over her shoulder.

Walking to the door, she called back curtly, "Yes."

He quickly went in front of the door and stopped her from leaving the room. "Betty, please. I'm sorry and I love you."

She pushed him against the frame and furiously walked down the stairs, not bothering him with a reply.

"Betty!" he called out, following her. This girl would be the death of him, he swore.

He watched her put the fluffy blankets on the couch of the living room and suddenly, it was too much for him. He went next to her and grabbed them, getting the white fabric from her hands. He heard, more than he saw, her gasping in surprise, and took this opportunity to run away with his loot in his hands. His bare feet hit the floor, thumping as he put as much distance as he could between himself and her, quickly being shortened by her running after him.

"Jughead! Come back here this instant!" she bellowed, and he only ran faster.

"Never!"

And just like that, they ran around the house, one purchasing the other and screaming for him to come back or he will regret this, and the other half laughing, half screaming, not giving up on his dear blankets.

He finally arrived in the bedroom, screeching to a halt and sprinting in. And before she could catch him, he quickly climbed on the bed and slipped under the covers, gripping them as if we would die if he didn't.

He watched her enter the room, obviously furious and incredibly red in the face. She was shaking, hands clenched at her sides and looking ready to kill someone. He swallowed, as the amusement drained out from him to be replaced with apprehension. This girl could be pretty crazy sometimes.

"Jughead," she panted. "I am _not_ repeating this. Get out of here right now or else I'll-"

"You'll what?" he dared her, peeking out from his haven under the blanket, fully aware it was dangerous to challenge her while she was like this if he wanted to live old.

She opened her mouth as if searching for an answer but quickly closed it, and instead threw herself at him. At first he thought she was going to kiss him or something like that (and he would have welcomed her with open arms), but he realized pretty fast it was actually the contrary. Tightly grabbing the cover hard enough to make her knuckles go white, the covers were thrown off and sent flying across the room. Jughead found himself without anything to protect him. He was at her mercy.

With horror, he watched her hands grab his arms forcefully, not sparing him the least. He felt her sharps nails dig in his skin, and he winced. She yanked him out of the bed, making him fall harshly on the hard floor.

"Ouch! Betts! Please, stop! I already said I'm sorry!" he pleaded.

"Don't care," she replied, pulling at his hair to make him leave the room.

At this stage, he was basically crawling on the floor. He felt the urge to laugh, as weird as it sounded, but went against it. That wouldn't be wise.

"Would you stop this? Betty-"

She released him, looking down on him and glaring at him straight in the eyes. And, at this exact moment, he knew she wouldn't stop and change her mind, no matter how much he pleaded or begged. He was screwed.

"Are you seriously going to make me sleep on the couch because I BEAT YOU IN MONOPOLY!?"

She glared at him once again, her beautiful blue eyes burning. "Yes."

And she turned her back to him, slamming the door behind her.

 _2._

"How the _hell_ are you two friends?" Cheryl asked, staring at Archie and Jughead with disgust.

The two looked at each other, smirking knowingly. They both turned their heads towards her simultaneously.

"We're not. Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer," they replied in unison.

"Intimately close," Archie continued with a straight face. "Seduce your enemies."

"Marry your enemies and poison the wedding cake," said Jughead, seemingly incredibly serious and his expression set in stone. "Boom."

There was a minute of silence, where Cheryl just stared at them, dumbfounded and slightly repulsed.

"Please forget I asked," she muttered, leaving them alone.

Archie reached out his hand and Jughead high-fived it, both grinning widely.

"Pop's?"

"Pop's."

 _3._

She rolled around in her bed, tossing and turning. She listened to the clock ticking endlessly and she swore she would go insane if she listened a second longer. How she hated when she couldn't sleep. Outside, the sky was dark and the stars shone brightly, and from time to time, she could hear cars passing by. As her mind began to wander, she started to wonder who the people passing by were and what their life was like. Did they have a job they liked? Were they married? Did they have any siblings? She sighed. This sondering was getting out of hand. She really needed to sleep, or else tomorrow morning would be a disaster. She could already hear Veronica's teasing. _"Wow Betty. I like those bags under your eyes. Are they Chanel?"_

She silently laughed, perfectly imagining her brunette friend's sassy remark.

She turned around once again. Glancing at her clock, she realized with subdued horror that it was already one in the morning and groaned. She needed to do _something_.

Quietly, she reached over and unplugged her phone from where it was charging on her bedside table. Without even realizing, she went to her messaging app and sent a text. Outside, a dog barked and she jumped, almost dropping her phone.

 ** _Are u up?_**

She waited anxiously for an answer, playing with her fingers. What if he wasn't and she woke up him up? He was always grumpy when he didn't sleep enough.

 ** _Nah. Aren't you, Juliet?_**

The green text lit up the screen when she wasn't expecting it and her heart skipped a beat and she blinked, startled. She had to hold back a grin not to look too dumb. With shaking fingers, she answered,

 ** _Come and see me._**

She didn't wait for his reply and began rearranging the room as stealthily as she could. The last thing she wanted was her parents showing up in her room and asking her what she was doing. No, that would be awful. She could already imagine them questioning her motives interrogatively even if she answered that she had just wanted a glass of water.

In the corner of her eye, she saw movement in Archie's room and she suppressed a grin escaping from her lips. _Calm down, Elizabeth._ _You look like a mushy teenager and we don't want that, do we?_

She checked her breath and nodded. A few seconds later, a soft knock on her window startled her, and she quickly turned around, smiling gently. She went to open it, the yellow street lights lighting her face up.

"Hey there," Jughead greeted her, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "You need me to solve a murder?"

She chuckled and motioned for him to be quiet by holding a finger to her lips. With a move of her hand, she invited him inside. He landed on her carpet with a low 'thud' and looked at her questioningly.

"I couldn't sleep," she murmured in answer, encircling him with her arms tightly.

He was in his grey pajamas with little puppy patterns and looked like a ten year old boy who got out of bed to use the bathroom. Stifling a snort, she looked up and almost laughed when she noticed his black hair hiding inside a beanie.

He arched an eyebrow at her and replied, "And you thought I was the Sandman?"

She playfully punched his elbow, putting her head on the crook of his neck. "Sleep with me," she murmured in his ear, eyes drifting close as she relished his warmth.

"Wait what?" He stammered intelligently, squirming as he tried to break from her embrace, but she wouldn't let him, squeezing tightly. "Like, right-"

"Not like that, idiot," she chastised him, mumbling as he calmed down. "I mean lay down in bed with me. Please. I can't sleep."

One or two minutes of silence passed, and she began to wonder if she did the right thing. Maybe they weren't close enough yet?

"Of course," he answered, breaking the silence as she gave a quiet sigh in relief. "But your parents…"

"We'll be awake before them."

She backed away to smile at him, and he returned the gesture. Still staring at her, he kicked his boots off and removed his beanie. Silently, he made his way to her bed and she followed him, slightly ashamed at how hard her heart was thumping in her chest, happy just by the fact that he was here with her.

She cuddled next to him, turning so that they were spooning with her back against his torso. He was warm and smelt like apple, and she felt her eyes drifting close again.

"So…" he trailed off, and she bemusedly opened her eyes again. "Why did you ask me to come? Not that I'm complaining or anything-"

"I read that cuddling helped sleep better. And who better than you to do that with me?" she answered, cutting him off.

Giving her a shit-eating grin, he joked, "Your mother?"

She kicked his leg with her bare foot and he chuckled. "Sorry, sorry." he laughed, obviously not sorry at all.

They didn't say anything for a while, content with each other's presence. She could feel him relax behind her and she let out a breath. Outside her room, the sounds of the night were slowly fading away, like in a movie. Silence wrapped around them like a comfortable blanket as their breathing slowed down and they lay quietly next to each other.

Jughead slipped a warm hand under her tee-shirt and kissed her nape tenderly. She sighed in pleasure, tilting her neck to allow him more room. She would never get tired of his touch, of the feel of his lips against her skin. This was absolutely pure bliss.

"I love you, Betty Cooper," he whispered softly as she slipped to sleep.

 _4._

"At the moment, it seemed like a good idea."

A moment of silence, then, "Obviously, it was _not_."

"Shut up, it's fine, just chill, we're fine, I'm fine, everything is cool, everything is good! We're chill, nothing is happening and I am _not_ freaking out, not at all, we're FINE."

"As the wise Scooby Doo said; "Ruh Roh"."

"I remain confused."

By an outsider, it may have looked like four teenagers panicking over someone sleeping on the floor. Maybe the outsider would have thought the someone was strange; after all, why would someone in their right mind would sleep on a dirty floor? But as weird as it sounded, that was it. Almost.

"Now, not to be forward, but I think we're in pretty deep shit."

"Oh, you think? You _really_ think? I don't know, I think it's pretty cool actually. He's just fucking UNCONSCIOUS on the floor!"

"Can someone shoot him, please?" Veronica asked, pointing to her boyfriend.

Jughead narrowed his eyes in contemplation and shook his head.

"Don't. We might need him for later."

"That must have hurt, though," Betty declared, seeing the awkward pose on the floor. She cringed slightly at how the cheek remained stuck from its collision with the floor. Yep, that was definitely going to bruise.

"What did we do?!" Archie whispered, taking his head in both his hands in an attempt to calm down.

"Dude, _chill_. We just drugged him."

The red-haired threw his arms up in the air, not believing it. How could they all be so relaxed?

"We just have to hide him," Veronica simply said, shrugging while looking at them. As if hiding a body was the normal solution and something everyone did.

"But where?" Betty asked. "You don't hide a body like that."

"My mother isn't home this afternoon. We can hide him in my room, just for him to wake up."

The blonde girl looked at the brunette, thinking hard. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she nodded and snapped her fingers at her.

"Good idea. Let's do that."

"We're all going in jail!" Archie whisper-shouted as he dropped his head back into his hands with a groan.

"Jail can't stop me," Jughead said cheekily, lifting the body by the arms.

Everyone, except a certain person, helped him carry the heavy body into Archie's van. Betty took place behind the wheel, starting the engine.

"Wait!" Archie exclaimed, strapping on his belt. "You know how to drive this?"

She looked at him, slightly amused. "Of course I do. Who do you think I am?"

From the back seats, Veronica stuck her head between the two and looked at him with a grin.

"She broke into Grundy's car. She can do everything," she smiled sweetly at him and returned her attention on the body between her and Jughead.

"Betty, darling. Drive this car and quick. Reggie's head on my tights aren't the best feeling in the world."

Betty smiled at her boyfriend through the mirror and laughed.

In barely ten minutes, they were at the Lodge's residence, trying to hide Reggie's body the best they could. Three times Archie dropped his legs because he thought someone was arriving, and all three times his friends all yelled at him. At one moment, though, Veronica had to explain everything to Smithers, the butler. With a confused face, he watched them carry the teenage boy in the lift, struggling to squish all five of them in the small place.

"Don't worry Smithers. Everything's fine!"

"Oh yes, everything is cool. Don't worry!" Archie sarcastically exclaimed as soon as they were out of sight.

Five seconds later, they all crashed in the brunette's room, exhausted.

"Man, he's so heavy," Jughead breathed.

Reggie was now snoring peacefully on Veronica's queen-sized bed, oblivious to what was happening and completely unaware of Archie's inner breakdown.

"I still can't believe we made him drink it," Betty said.

"He's so stupid."

"He wasn't supposed to drink it! It was a joke!" Archie wailed.

Jughead took him by the shoulders in a placating gesture and licked his dry lips. "Man, he's fine now. No one will know about it."

"But what if he tells the police?" he replied, paranoid as Jughead waved away his worries.

"We'll tell him he just drank too much. He won't remember what happened."

Archie pulled out of his grip and glared at everyone in the room, his eyes narrowed.

"I hate you all."

 _5._

"I said no more dogs, and what did you do?! GOT ANOTHER FUCKING DOG!"

"But he's so cute!"

Jughead lifted the black puppy so his girlfriend could look at him in the eyes and smiled. But instead of doing what he expected her to do, she glared at him and he suddenly gulped audibly, his grin dropping.

"We already have three dogs, Jughead. _Three_."

"But-"

"No but."

"Betty!"

She stared pointedly at him and he gave up, sadness filling his heart. He put the little dog on the carpet, stroking his head affectionately.

"Sorry Cookie. Mama Cooper said no," he pouted, rubbing its adorable little head as it gave him the most sad look in the world.

He then glared at her, frowning as he scooped up the puppy and stalked out.

"Betrayer."

 **-Not five minutes later-**

"JUGHEAD JONES! WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?"

The dark-haired boy came running in the room, distraught at her sudden cry. However, when he saw what she was pointing at his expression immediately softened.

"Oh, you found Cookie. Well he didn't want to go, so I let him stay here. You can't force destiny, Betty."

She fumed, struggling to keep her calm.

"And I can't force the grim reaper either, but I sure can help him by killing you."

 _6._

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four. Five.

"Touched you!"

She breathed deeply, trying to calm down a little and not to scream.

One second. Two seconds. Three. Four. Five. Six. She jumped.

"Touched-"

"TOUCH ME WITH YOUR COLD FEET ONE MORE TIME AND I SWEAR TO GOD!"

She felt him freeze behind her and then relax. "You need to cool off, Betts. I'm just kidding-"

She sharply turned around and climbed on him. Grabbing his shoulders forcefully with both hands, she shook him with all the strength she could gather at midnight.

"IT'S. FRIDAY. NIGHT. AND I JUST. WANT. TO. SLEEP!" she panted.

He laughed at her, not being able to hold it any longer. Putting his hands on her waist, he began tickling her.

"Just so you know, I find you ridiculously sexy when you're angry like that," he told her.

She groaned in frustration and climbed off him before the tickles would make her laugh. She would never sleep with him again. Never.

 _7._

"Come on! Just one!"

"Absolutely not."

"But why?" she whined, pulling at his black shirt.

He shrugged and crossed his arms.

"Because."

"It's not an answer, Jughead."

"I know."

She pouted.

"Please!" she begged.

He quickly casted a glance at her, and bit his lip. No, he wouldn't give in. Not again. He would not-

"Ok, just one."

"Yes!"

 _Click!_

 _8._

They were walking in Riverdale Park, hand in hand. The trees were all grey, looking ominous. Not a lot of people were here, and the cold wind was blowing harshly on their faces, seeping through their clothes even though they had been careful to cover themselves properly.

The park itself was silent, and it frightened him. It seemed as if the whole humankind had disappeared in one day, leaving just the two of them on this earth. No bird could be heard, no car was passing by, nothing. She wasn't even speaking.

"Betty?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

She didn't bother to look at him and just kept staring at the cold asphalt floor as they walked along the brick road, sulking silently as she took in the depressing weather of February.

"Are you okay?" he ventured, looking over at her.

"Yes."

She was lying, he knew, and _she_ knew he knew. She _wasn't_ fine.

"Why don't you speak?"

"I have nothing to say," she answered simply.

"You always do." he replied, exasperated.

"Well, not this time."

He stopped in his tracks and she had no other choice but do the same. He watched her play with her feet absent-mindedly and he bit his lower lip, uncomfortable by her behaviour.

"Would you have preferred to go at Pop's?"

She shook her head, pouting a little. Why was she acting like that? He didn't have any idea and it scared him. Giving her hand a squeeze, he asked,

"Did I say or do something? If I did, I'm sorry."

At this, she suddenly laughed bitterly and shook her head, still refusing to meet his gaze. "No, Jughead. You did absolutely _nothing_. That's the problem."

He frowned. This made even less sense. Why was she speaking in riddles?

"What do you mean?" he opted to ask instead.

She looked up at him and he was surprised to see what seemed like sorrow in her beautiful eyes. The clouds overhead reflecting in her clear blue eyes and she spoke softly,

"What day is it, Juggie?"

He narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Umm… the 14th of February?"

She made a gesture with her hands as if to say 'exactly!' but he wasn't getting it.

"And so?" she asked, widening her eyes at him pointedly, as if that would trigger a reaction from him.

"Sooo…" he continued, trailing off in hopes that she would answer in his place.

Sighing, she rolled her eyes, "It's Valentine's Day, Jughead!"

"Yes, I know that. I'm not completely dumb, you know," he tried to laugh, but her face fell at the same time her shoulders did.

"So you really don't give a damn…" she murmured.

"Betty, what are you talking about?"

"I mean you didn't offer me anything or even wish me a happy Valentine!" she exploded, tears threatening to fall and roll down her cheek. "You didn't do anything for the lovers' day… Am I not important to you?"

"Of course you are!" he exclaimed, surprised by her sudden outburst. "You are, Betty."

She nodded and began walking backwards. Before she could move further from him, he grabbed her hand.

"Did you want me to do something special?" he quietly asked her.

"That's what people do to show they love someone," she said sarcastically, and he flinched from the venom lacing her tone.

He stayed silent for a minute, not believing what was happening. Yes, maybe he should have done something, that was true, but he also thought she wasn't like that. He smiled, suppressing a laugh the best he could. She would have taken it the wrong way.

"I'm sorry for not giving you anything, Betty. I really am. But I don't need a special day to show you I care about you, to show you I love you. When I love someone, I try to tell them every day of my life. Not just on a cold and rainy day of winter that happens to be some national "profess your love" day. So, I guess I should tell you then. Betty Cooper, you make my life more bearable and you are the shining sun that makes me want to get up every morning. You make me want to sing with the birds and dance in a flower field, and I love you," he smiled. "Is that cheesy enough for you?"

She looked at him with an open mouth, a new glint in her eyes as they shimmered with something that looked dangerously like tears.

"Juggie… I never thought of it that way… I'm sorry. I love you too. With all my heart."

She cupped his cheeks and gave him a long and sensual kiss, leaving both of them breathless.

"So do you want a rose or something?" he asked, just to make sure.

She laughed and hugged him tightly against her. Immediately, he was overwhelmed with a delicate warmth, making him smile against her hair.

 _I love you._

Three words as big as the world.

oOo

Often, he would look back at these moments. Those moments of pure joy, pure happiness that he spent with her and them. They were like his family; a family that he had loved and that had loved him back way more than his real one. They were forever encrusted in his mind and in his heart, like a tattoo. They were with him, forever.

* * *

 **A/N:** **So... did you guys like it? Or hated it? Please be nice and tell me what you thought of it, I like constructive criticism :) it takes you only five seconds and it encourages me to write more :) Also, I have other stories I'm working on right now, so follow me if you want more ;)**

 **Bye guys! Thanks for reading!**

 **MademoiselleEtincelle**


End file.
